March 2017

Issue: Volume 2 Issue 2

It’s tough times for the global debt market as the decades-long bull market in bonds peters to a halt. So what other options are available to issuers seeking to raise capital? With the likes of crowdfunding, minibonds and P2P lending on the

The Sukuk market has yet again exceeded expectations: total Sukuk issued over the last 12 months amounted to US$37.8 billion, compared with US$35.4 billion the previous year, according to the latest 12-month rolling data from Dealogic. As we come to the end

Islamic finance is designed to share profits, stick to principles and support wealth creation and small businesses – making SME financing a vital tool in the Shariah compliant financing kit. Across the world, multiple projects have been launched to lend assistance to

A new report from Moody’s Investor Services confirms that the profitability of Islamic banks’ in the GCC region will outpace that of their conventional peers for the second consecutive year in 2017 on the back of stronger margins and resilient cost of

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the 3rd February held its first formal discussion on Islamic Banking, resulting in the adoption of a set of proposals to support the industry. “Islamic banking continues to grow rapidly, in size and complexity, contributing to

A multitude of jurisdictions are looking to implement new banking and finance regulation in order to encourage and support the development of their Islamic financial markets. Most recently, the Central Bank of the Philippines is pushing for legislation to introduce an Islamic

Oman is one of the newer arrivals to the Islamic finance market in the Middle East, but has spent the past six years consolidating its position and building up its domestic industry. Attention has now turned to the debt capital market, and

After a four-year hiatus, Dubai’s Emaar Properties returned to the international debt market at the end of 2016 in a triumphant comeback that displayed the strength of appetite for Shariah paper and the ability of Islamic instruments to fund large-scale business activities.

The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) in January 2017 became the first African corporate to issue Sukuk – the highest ever from an African entity; successfully demonstrating the accessibility and appeal of Islamic financing for emerging market entities. The issuance was based on

Harmonization across jurisdictions is vital to support access to Islamic issuance and encourage corporates to enter the market by promoting simple, easy-to-understand principles and processes for Shariah compliant activity. The head of the leading standard-setter for the Islamic finance industry, DR HAMAD